Lead Me Through The Darkness
by xDark-Angelx224
Summary: Eli sees Clare through her worse. When his family takes her in, Clare is still in her bad habits. Eli tries to break her out, but realizes he can't get through her. Will he keep trying or give up and let his family send her away?
1. Hear Me Yell

**Greetings my fellow readers. I am making a new story. This is a dark fan fic. Don't like it, don't read it. I plan to make this as interesting as possible. This story include sex, drinking and drug abuse, rape, self harm and physical abuse. Read at your own risk, dears.**

**Have questions or critics? PM me or drop a review. Whatever floats your boat. **

**A little details about the story: Eli, Bianca, Drew and Jake are 17. Adam and Clare are 16. Clare's parents are divorced, but Helen and Glen don't get together. Bianca and Clare are best friends, meaning Alli and Jenna isn't mentioned as much. This is strictly an EClare story, however, they won't get together very quickly. It will take time. A lot of time, perhaps.**

**Since it is summer and I just got out of school, I'll update as much as I can. I really don't have a life behind fan fic, so this is the only thing I'll spend my summer doing. Maybe I can improve my writing skills. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Degrassi at all.**

**xDark-Angelx224**

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**Clare:**

She stood at the abandon building, waiting for her best friend, Bianca to show up before school started. Clare Edwards stared at watch, reading the time. It was currently six forty-five in the morning. She dug in her pocket and pulled on the rolled joint that she had. Next, she dug out for her lighter and lit the joint. She inhaled it deeply, feeling the smoke tickle her lungs before letting it out. She let her mind her wonder, thinking about how life used was before her parents split when she was twelve.

Randall, her father, cheated on her mother with some whore at his office. Helen found out from Randall's secretary, also known as one of Helen's old friend. Helen let heartbreak get to her and she let herself go. She started going out and bringing different guys home every night.

Clare remember her thirteenth birthday. She was alone since her mother had forgotten about her. Her mother was out at a club, doing every ungodly thing known. At ten thirty that night, Clare woken up to people coming into the house. She debated in her head whether she should go downstairs and check it out. Five minutes of deciding, Clare was making her way down stairs. She found her mother on some guy's lap, kissing him. He was handing her a pill and her mother popped it in her mouth. Clare gasped and it caught everyone's attention. All eyes averted towards the tiny, fragile girl.

The guy who Helen was on tossed Helen aside and walked towards Clare, who was frozen. He stroked her face and smiled at her, showing his dirty teeth. He reeked of a smell that Clare couldn't make out at the time.

_"Helen, you never told me you had such a beautiful daughter," _Clare remembers the guy saying.

Times like that, Clare wished that Randall would have taken her along with him and Darcy. She never knew why Darcy got to live with Randall while she got stuck in this lifestyle.

Clare was too wrapped into her thoughts to notice Bianca had took the joint out of her hand and was standing by her, puffing away. Bianca shook Clare, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"How long have you been standing here?" Clare asked in a raspy voice, taking the joint from Bianca and inhaling the smoke deeply.

"About three minutes. What were you thinking about, honey?"

"Life three years ago. I- I keep thinking about that night Arnold raped me. He told me I was becoming a woman while he took my innocence from me," Clare cried, handing the joint to Bianca.

Bianca put out the joint and hugged Clare. Besides Clare being the only person who accepted Bianca, they were friends because they went through the same thing. They shared a similar story. Together, they were going to try and leave the hell hole they were living in.

"Let's go to school," Bianca said, grabbing Clare's hand.

Clare nodded her head and walked around the corner to school with Bianca. Along the way, she wiped her tears, refusing to let anyone see that she's been crying.

**Eli:**

Jake pulled up at Degrassi and into the students parking lot. They boys hopped out the car and walked into the school together. Everyone knew of they four guys being friends. No one dared to break of their clique. Adam, Drew, Jake, and Eli walked down the hallways of Degrassi earning stares from everyone. They had no clue why people stared and they didn't care to find out.

The bell rang and the crew separated to their first period classes. Eli walked into Advanced English and sat down next to the auburn-haired girl. Everyone knew of Clare Edwards. She was the biggest slut of the school along with her best friend, Bianca DeSousa. Almost every guy has been in their pants, Drew being one of them. He has slept with Bianca since Clare had angrily rejected him. Everyone says Clare is a tough piece of meat to work with, though some has succeeded in getting into her pants. Well, that's what they say, though Clare never denies it.

Eli listens to Ms. Dawes talk and drone on about the students reading _The Odyssey _and _Romeo and Juliet_.

"Class, since _The Odyssey_ and _Romeo and Juliet_is long story, I will assign you and your partner one of the stories and you both have to reenact a part and summarize it. It's worth fifty percent of your grade," Ms. Dawes said.

As Ms. Dawes went around the class pairing everyone, Eli hoped he wouldn't get paired with anyone he didn't like.

"Mr. Goldsworthy and Ms. Edwards, my star pupils. You two will do Romeo and Juliet. I cannot wait to see what part you to reenact!" Ms. Dawes said giddily.

Eli rolled his eyes and slouched in his seat. He had to be partners with the slut. Eli hated girls who degraded their selves and paraded around the school without a care in the world. It made him angry to see how such beautiful girls are so careless about their bodies. Their bodies weren't made for everyone to touch or see. Their bodies were supposed made to be something special and only seen for someone special. That's how Eli saw things.

"So, are we going to do this at your place?" Clare asked, turning around in her seat to face Eli.

"I bet you would like to go to my place," Eli snapped coldly.

"What's your problem, _partner_?"

"My problem is I am partners with one of the biggest sluts of the damn school!" Eli yelled loudly, causing heads to turn and stare at the two.

"What's going on back there!?" Ms. Dawes hissed.

Clare angrily stood up and gathered her belongings. She stormed out of class, slamming the door behind her. Eyes were still glued on Eli's. He looked up at all the looking eyes and snapped.

"What are y'all looking up?"

Everyone flinched in their chair and turned their attentions to their partners. Eli slumped down in his chair began searching for a part to recite for _Romeo and Juliet._ He felt a little bad for what he said to Clare, but he had no intentions on apologizing for speaking the truth.

Everyone knew Eli was a very blunt person. He said things so nonchalantly and didn't care if it had hurt them. He only had a soft heart for his closest friends and his parents. Sometimes, he was very blunt to them. English ended quickly and Eli zoomed out of that class and back to his locker where the girl whose been crushing on him for months was standing. Eli groaned and walked past her, hoping that she'd get the hint to leave him alone.

"Eli, wait up!" she called out after him, trying to catch up with him.

Eli stopped and turned around, seeing Imogen Moreno run towards him, her braided pig tails flying as she ran. She stopped once she reached Eli and caught her breath before speaking.

"Didn't you see me standing by your locker?" she asked.

"No," Eli lied.

"Well, I-"

Imogen was cut off by Bianca slamming Eli in the locker. She pinned his skinny body and stared at him threateningly.

"What the hell is your-"

"Talk about bad about my best friend again and I'll cut your sorry dick off! Got it?"

"I'm not scared of you Bianca," he growled.

"I didn't say you were scared of me, I asked if you got that!"

When Eli didn't respond, she choked him a little. Eli tried to grasp for air. He managed to strain out an okay. Bianca dropped him and let him fall on the ground. He coughed and grabbed his neck, grasping for air. Imogen ran by his side and bent down.

"Are you okay?"

Eli pushed Imogen off of him and got up, storming down the hall and to his second period. He was pissed off! The head slut had nearly killed him, all because of that damn Clare. She runs away from her battle and has people fight it for her. That was real smooth, real fucking smooth. Eli punched a locker along the way to his second hour, not caring if he had damaged a innocent person's locker.

**Clare:**

She stormed out the school without anyone knowing. She was fed up with people spreading rumors about her sleeping with every guy in the school. She had no clue how that rumor started, considering the fact she had turned down every guy in that school. She refused to have sex with any guys at Degrassi. She refused for them to see her damaged body.

When Clare turned fourteen, she turned to one thing: a blade. It was the only thing Clare could turn to. She didn't want to end her life, but she wanted to do damage to it. One day, Helen's guy of the day caught her mutilating herself. He came in the room, snatched the blade, and violently raped her. By this time, Clare had been used to it. She didn't cry nor scream. She laid there and let him do what he had to do.

As to cutting, she hasn't done it since that day. She made a promise to Bianca that she would stop, though it's been tempting lately.

Clare ended up at her house. She saw that the door was open once again. Her mother was so careless and that's what upsets Clare the most. She didn't even care that her daughter was raped plenty of times. She didn't care that her daughter smoked or got drunk every night. She didn't care that her daughter went out late at night and came back around six in the morning. None of that phased her. That's what made Clare the way she is now.

"I'm home!" Clare yelled into the silent house.

She shrugged when she heard no answer, guessing her mother was out again. Her head quickly turned when she heard heavy footsteps dragging down the steps. She saw that her mother had brought home another man from last night. She looked at him eyeing her lustfully, as if her mother wasn't enough to satisfy him.

This man was six feet, all muscle. He had black hair with a few gray stands peaking out. His left ear was pierced and he wore a white beater, showing off his muscles along with a pair of black slacks.

Clare tried to push past him and walk to her room, but he grabbed her by her arm forcefully. She knew how this day was going to turn out, but she decided to put up a fight hoping he'd leave her alone.

She yanked her arm from the man who grabbed her by her hair and yanked her towards him, forcing her to look up at him.

"Your mother told me you were very beautiful, she was right," he said, staring at Clare.

Clare gulped as she stared at the man. She didn't want this. Why wouldn't guys learn to leave her alone?! Why wouldn't they take no for an answer. Just one day she wished that her mother's sloppy leftovers would leave her to some peace.

The muscular man grabbed Clare's face and forced a kiss on her lips. He ripped her clothes off, leaving her only in her bra and panties. He grabbed her and threw her on the couch. Clare closed her eyes as she heard the man unbuckle her belt. She heard his pants hit the ground and felt her panties being yanked. With one swift movement, he was buried deep inside her. A loud groan escape his lips as he slid in and out of her. He rammed hard into her, forcefully grabbing her large breast with one hand while the other was placed tightly on her waist. His pelvic was hitting hard against Clare who's eyes were closed the whole time. He placed kisses on her body, Clare shuddering in disgust.

He slipped his hard cock out of Clare and flipped her over. This was a surprise to Clare since every guy has only did one position with her. She felt him grab her waist and left her up, her butt in the air. She felt him pump into her pussy twice before he pulled out and thrust into her anal.

Clare screamed out in pain, gripping the couch and tears spilling from her eyes. She managed to kick the guy testicles, causing him to yell and fall over. Helen ran down the steps, tying her robe.

"What's all the yelling down here?! You woke me up from my nap, Clare!"

"Your fucking boy toy just raped my ass!" Clare screamed, putting her clothes on quickly.

"Clare, be a doll and let Randy have fun with you. He's the type of guy who likes to do anal and I think if you give it a try you'll-"

"For fucks sake, mom, do you hear yourself?! Do you fucking hear what you just said!? You're letting some creepy perv rape your sixteen year old! You're sitting here allowing me to get raped and degraded! My life has been turned completely around because of your selfish ways!" Clare yelled to the top of her lungs.

"Clare, stop being such a drama queen and just let the man have sex with you," Helen said carelessly.

"Go to hell, Helen," Clare said, grabbing her book bag and storming out the house.

"Hey, don't talk to me that way!" Helen yelled at the last minute.

Clare walked to her usual spot, knowing Bianca would be there to meet here. Her butt was sore and she felt so ashamed. She needed to get away from this lifestyle. She decided she wasn't going to go back home. She didn't know where to go, because Bianca had the same problem at home. She had no clue who she could turn to, because she didn't have friends. Bianca was the only one there for her.

**Eli:**

Eli couldn't believe he was doing this. He was actually walking to Clare Edwards house to apologize. The only reason for this was so he could get a grade on his project. He wanted him and Clare to have the greatest performance in class and since it was due in a few weeks, they shouldn't waste time. When he got to Clare's house, he knocked on the door twice. A woman in her early forties, who Eli assumed was Clare's mom, answered the door.

"What the hell do you want?" she asked coldly.

_"I see where Clare gets her charming attitude from," _Eli thought sarcastically.

"I'm here to see Clare, ma'am."

"Clare? I don't know where the hell that bitch is at and I can care less. When you see her, tell her to get her shit and get the hell out! I don't need her ruining my damn life!" With that being said, the door was slammed.

Eli stood there dumbfounded. He couldn't believe the words that came out of her mother's mouth. He couldn't believe that her mother felt that way about her. He walked off the porch and wondered around the neighborhood, searching for Clare. Instead he ran into Bianca.

"Hey, I need to-"

"Here for another beat down, Goldsworthy?" Bianca asked angrily.

"No, I'm looking for Clare. We a project and-"

"Oh, now you need the _slut_," Bianca said.

"Look, Bianca, I don't any trouble. I just need to Clare for this project."

"Well, I haven't seen or heard from her. Her phone is off and I'm just about to head to her house."

"I was already there, she's not there. Her mother didn't have the nicest things to say about her."

"Yeah, Helen is a fucking bitch! Let's go find her Emo boy," Bianca said, smirking.

Eli and Bianca looked around the neighborhood for hours. They even checked Bianca's and Clare's hiding spot, she wasn't there. Clare was no where to be found. Then it had hit Bianca, Clare was probably in the place no one thought to look. She was at Degrassi.

"Come on Emo boy," Bianca said, running.

"Where are we going?" Eli said, running along with Bianca.

"Degrassi."

**Clare:**

She sat on the steps thinking about her life. She hated everything that had happened to her. She wished her parents were still together. Clare reached into her backpack and grabbed her blade. She pressed it against her skin and quickly ran in across her arm, drawing blood. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about the promise she was breaking to Bianca.

She heard footsteps and quickly looked up to see Bianca standing there with Eli by her side. She stopped cutting and stood up with a horrid look on her face. The blood was slowly dripping by her side.

"Clare, what the-"

Before finishing that sentence, Clare collapsed on the concrete, her head making a crack sound. The last thing she heard was Bianca's shrill screams.

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**This is pretty intense and that was my first and only rape scene! Through out the story, there will be flashes of Clare being rape but it won't be as detailed. I felt uncomfortable writing this, I wanted this to be done(for the story, not in real life). Anyways, the rest of the story will contain drug abuse, abuse, underage drinking sex(at their own risk), and self harm. **

**Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Good, bad? Keep, delete? Let me know.**

**xDark-Angelx224**


	2. I'll Protect You

***Does happy dance* Thank you a lot for the reviews you all are leaving. It makes me extremely happy to know that you're enjoying this story. What do you all think about Helen? She's a bitch, isn't she? How do you all feel about the Bianca and Clare friendship? I think it fits this story perfectly! By the way, this is still the same day.**

**And as me killing off Clare? No, I could never. I LOVE Clare and the person who portrays her(Aislinn Paul). Me killing her is something I can't even find in my heart to do. *hint, hint* I refuse to let Clare die!**

**Eli and Clare are going to live under the same roof for a while. I wonder how that will turn out, considering the fact Clare has been around a horrible lifestyle for three long years. I have so many wonderful surprises up my sleeve. Wait until you all see what I have in store for you.**

**Enough rambling, I'm sure you all are just dying to know what this chapter is about. **

**xDark-Angelx224**

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**Bianca:**

Her best friend had collapsed right before her very eyes. She was terrified and didn't know what to do. Her mind was racing with thoughts, trying to figure out if she should call the ambulance or if she should take her somewhere safe. If she called the ambulance, they would examine her and see all the bruises on Clare. When Clare had woken, they would question her and get the police involved. Thus, sending her best friend away from her. Bianca couldn't let that happen. She refused for Clare to get separated from her. She was her only friend.

She looked over at Eli and saw the petrified look on his face. He was sitting on the steps, hugging his knees and shaking. She had never seen Emo boy look so distraught and scared. It made her realize that he had a heart.

Neither of them spoke for a while. They had no clue what to say. They sat there, staring at Clare's unconscious body. If was weird for them.

"We should call the police," Eli said.

"No!" Bianca protested, "Let's call your parents. Please."

"Why? What is it that my parents can do that the police can't."

"Your parents can't take Clare away from me."

**Clare:**

She woke up in an unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar smell. She looked around and saw that the walls were white, but she wasn't at the hospital. She was at someone's house. Her head was pounding as she slowly rose from the bed. She winced and took baby steps to the door. She opened it and saw a couple around in their late forties standing at the end of the hallway. Clare cleared her throat, catching the couple's attention.

The lady had a warm smile spread across her face. Clare politely smiled back, wondering what the hell was going on and where the hell she was. She was a little scared. The strangers were walking close to Clare, while Clare was backing up. She quickly ran in the room and closed the door. She got up under the covers, pulling the covers over her face. Her breathing grew heavy and her body trembled.

Why was she at this place? The last thing Clare remembered was being on the steps at Degrassi, cutting herself. She remember seeing Bianca and Eli catching her in act before everything went black. Had they left her thinking she was dead?

There was a knock at the door. Clare flinched and held the covers tightly to her.

"Clare, darling, we don't want to hurt you. We're nice people. We're Eli's parents," a sweet feminine voice called out.

Eli's house? What the hell was going on. Clare pushed off the covers and walked to the door. She slowly opened the door and saw Eli's parents smiling at her, though they looked worried.

"Mind if we come in and have a little chat?" Eli's mother asked.

Clare nodded her head and opened the door all the way. She stepped aside and let the couple walk into the room. She closed the door, feeling more safe this way.

"Clare, we would like to introduce ourselves. I am Eli's mother, CeCe. This old man here is his father, Bullfrog."

"Nice to meet you," Clare said.

"Clare, we want to ask you something and you have to be completely honest. Okay?"

Clare nodded her head, feeling her heart beat rapidly against her chest. She took in a deep breath and waited for CeCe or Bullfrog to ask her the question she knew they were going to ask.

"What's going on at your home, Clare? What's it like?" CeCe asked.

Clare sighed and wiped her bangs out of her face. Where was Bianca when she needed her. She couldn't tell this story alone. She needed Bianca to help when she couldn't say everything. Clare pulled herself together and took a minute to find out where to begin. She bit her lip and looked at the set of eyes that were on her.

"Well," she began, "My home isn't a stable home. I live with my - Helen. I live with a woman name Helen, who carried me for nine months. I refuse to call her _mother, _because she hasn't been once since my dad left her and took my oldest sister with him. Helen brings home guys every night. They sit there, drink, do drugs, and screw each other in plain sight. A few times I was forced to join. Some nights when my mother would throw a party, meaning a lot of guys and only her, one of them would find their way to my room and - and they would rape me," Clare cried.

She looked up at the ceiling and let the tears spill before continuing, "This didn't start happening until I was thirteen and it has happened ever since. They would threaten me into doing drugs before raping me."

CeCe stood up, tears sliding down her face. She walked over to Clare and wrapped her arms around her. Clare cried into CeCe's chest as CeCe stroked Clare's hair. For the first time in a while, Clare was hugged by someone else other than Bianca. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be hugged like this. This was the type of hug her mother used to give her.

CeCe broke apart and stared at Clare. Clare wiped her eyes and looked down uncomfortably at the floor. Bullfrog cleared his throat and stood up. He walked towards Clare and gave her a bear hug.

"You don't deserve to go through this, Clare. You honestly don't," he said.

Flashes of Clare's dad ran across her mind. She remembered how she'd stay up all night, waiting for him to come home. She remembered all the promises he had made and then broken. She thought it was because he was a busy man. She respected that. It wasn't until later that she found out it was all for a women. A women who wasn't Helen.

"Clare, are you hungry?" CeCe asked.

"Starving," Clare admitted.

**Eli:**

Eli and Bianca were ordered to get out the house by his parents. They were walking around, trying to find a place to go. Eli had suggested that they went to one of his friend's house, but Bianca furiously denied. He didn't argue, because he knew why.

His mind kept drifting to the poor Clare. He felt really guilty for the rude things he had said about her. Both to her face and behind her back. He felt bad for being apart of those no life people who had spread rumors around the school about her. Catching Clare cutting herself made Eli know that there was something wrong with her. He was scared for her. He worried about her. He actually wanted to stay home and wait for her to wake up. He wanted to get some time alone with her and talk to her. He wanted to know the story behind the Clare Edwards he knew at school, plus they had to get started on this project.

"Eli, your phone is ringing," Bianca said, snapping her fingers in front of Eli's face.

Eli snapped from his gaze and hurriedly pulled his phone out of his pockets. He saw his mother's name flash across his screen before answering.

"Baby boy, how far are you and Bianca away from here?" CeCe asked.

"About a couple of blocks, why? What's going on?"

"Come home. Bullfrog and I have an important announcement."

The line went dead. Eli told Bianca and then the two rushed back to the Goldsworthy residence. They made it there in ten minutes, sweat dripping and panting. Eli unlocked his front door and let Bianca step in the house, before going inside behind her and closing the door.

Eli turned around and saw Clare standing with his parents. His heart instantly began aching and guilt rushed through his body. Clare's skin looked paler than usual. He heard a gasp escape from Bianca's lips. Bianca ran towards Clare and gave her a big her, crushing her.

"Ca-Can't breath," Clare managed to get out.

"Sorry," Bianca said.

"What's the big announcement?" Eli asked.

CeCe looked over at Bullfrog, who nodded his head slowly. CeCe smiled and put her arm around Clare.

"After hearing Clare's tragic story, we decided to take Clare into our family. We can't do it legally yet until we find some time to set a trial, but Clare will stay with us until then," CeCe said.

"Yeah, I better head out and get some of my things before Helen gets home," Clare said.

"Oh right, let's go," CeCe said, fishing for her keys.

"Can I come with?" Bianca asked.

"Sure" CeCe called out, finally getting her keys.

When the girls left out, it was only Bullfrog and Eli in the room. Bullfrog walked over towards his favorite chair and sat down. He pointed to the empty couch, telling Eli to have a seat. Eli obeyed and sat down, looking his father directly in the eyes.

"Eli, I need to talk to you about Clare."

**Clare:**

She laid her head against the window, feeling happy. Someone was going to take her in. She was finally going to get away from the hell hole she was living in. Clare smiled as they were getting closer to home. Well, in a few moments it wasn't going to sat her home. She would pack some of her stuff and be on her way to the Goldsworthy.

Though her and Eli has had some type of history, she hoped they could get past it and work out their differences. CeCe and Bullfrog had already accepted her once she told her sob story. CeCe comforted her after making her a big meal, which she didn't finish. Clare can't even remember the last home cooked meal she had before CeCe made her one.

Clare told CeCe which house it was and CeCe stopped in front of it. Clare told Bianca to stay in the car while she went in. She stepped out of the car and slowly walked to the door that was cracked open, as usual. Clare had a weird feeling coming from her gut, but she decided to ignore and go inside.

As usual, the house was quiet. There were faint voices coming upstairs, but Clare knew that it was probably Helen fucking. If they just started, they weren't going to finish until a couple of hours. Clare blocked the noises from her mind and crept up the stairs, going directly into her room. She quietly closed the door and rushed over towards her suitcases, stuffing as much as she could in there. She filled up four suitcases, hoping that she had everything she needed at the moment. Before walking out the room, Clare took one last look at it, knowing that she wouldn't be here for a while. From the corner of her eye, she saw a picture of the once happy family. It was a picture of Darcy, Randall, Helen, and Clare taken in front of the church. The memories of that day was very faint for Clare. She couldn't remember much, but she that they were all happy once. Or that's what they made it seem like. In that picture, that very moment, everything seemed perfect. They seemed like the perfect, happy family.

Clare sighed and grabbed the picture, stuffing in into one of her suitcases. She opened the door and tried to creep into the hallway, but was caught by Helen.

She walked out the room, tucking a strand of her hair behind her hair and tying her robe around her naked body. Helen looked at her daughter as if she hadn't seen her in a while. At first it was a look of relief until she saw the suitcases in Clare's hands.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Helen asked, folding her arms around her chest.

"Away from you!" Clare spat.

"You're not going anywhere but in that room to unpack those damn clothes."

"You can't tell me what to do, _Helen._"

"Clare Diana Edwards-"

"Oh, now you know my name," Clare said sarcastically.

"I am your mother, damn it. You will show me some respect!"

"You have _no_ _right _to call yourself my mother and for as long as I live, I will _never _respect you! You're a low life, piece of shit who threw everything away just because one guy left you. Newsflash, Helen, it's not the end of the fucking world! Get your fucking life together!"

Helen stared at Clare in shock as Clare struggled to carry her bags. Once Clare made it to the steps she turned around to look at Helen. She didn't feel any guilt as she saw a tear fall down Helen's cheek. She didn't feel any guilt when Helen looked at Clare with pleading eyes. She definitely didn't feel any regret when Helen begged her not to go. She wanted to go. She was more than happy to leave this place.

"And Helen, I will come back to get the rest of my stuff. Until then, have a nice time with your lowlife friends. Goodbye."

And with that, Clare walked down the steps. When she made it outside, Bianca saw her struggling and offered to help her. When they got back in the car, Clare was bombarded with questions. She told them she would explain later, right now she just wanted to enjoy the ride. She wanted to enjoy the ride going to her new smiled, feeling happy. As CeCe drove down to their home, Clare felt something. Something that she hasn't felt in a long time. She felt safe.

**Eli:**

When the women pulled up, Eli was swiftly outside carrying Clare's suitcases to her new room. It was awkward when Clare walked into the house. She stood at the front door uncomfortably, like she hasn't been here less than an hour ago.

As he came back down the stairs, he saw Clare talking to Bianca. They both had a smile on their faces and they were giddy. When he approached them, the talking stopped. They gave him a glare, making him feel like he intruded on something secretive.

"Sorry, didn't mean to intrude," he said.

"It's fine, Eli. I guess since we're going to live under the same roof we have to make this work," Clare said.

"I say we should go out to celebrate!" Bianca called out.

"Yes, we should!" Clare agreed, "Care to join, Eli?"

"Sure, I'll join."

Bianca and Clare shared the same smirk. Eli told his parents they were living and out the house they went. They walked for about twenty minutes, talking about Clare and Eli living together. They talked about trying to keep it a secret, afraid of the rumors that would go around. At a time like this, neither one of them could afford a rumor or two spreading around about them.

When Bianca and Clare stopped walking Eli stared at them in confusion. It was an abandon lot, filled with a lot of grass and rocks. In the father left corner was an old, rusty Mustang. Clare smiled and ran over to the Mustang, Bianca following behind her and Eli following behind the both of them.

"What is this place?" Eli asked.

"This is Clare's and I escape place. We come here a lot when we need to think, cry, scream, or even celebrate," Bianca said, "And this time we're celebrating. Clare is out of Helen's place and somewhere safe. Thank you, Eli."

"Hey, it's not really official yet until CeCe and Bullfrog set up a trial and legally take Clare from Helen."

"Either way it goes, Helen won't have Clare. Your parents will. They are way better parents than Clare's mother will ever be!"

"I found party favors!" Clare said, holding up bags of marijuana.

"W-What's that?" Eli asked.

"Geez, Eli, have you always been such a prude? It's weed for crying out loud," Clare said, tossing Bianca the bags.

"You two actually smoke that?" he asked, stunned.

"And you haven't Emo boy? I would've thought since you hung around Jake and Drew that you would have smoked," Bianca said, holding back a laughter.

"Jake and Drew smoke that?" he asked, his eyes popping out his head.

"For fuck sakes, Eli, yes! They smoke weed. Clare and I have smoked with them a couple of times."

"And that's why you and Drew fucked. Then Clare and Jake fucked," he said, thinking that it was true.

"Oh no, Drew and I were both sober when we hooked up. Though he was dating that Indian chick at the time. As for Jake and Clare, no. Clare turned him down, along with Drew. That's why Drew came to me and Jake, well, he's with that dumb blonde now."

"Jenna," Eli said.

"Yeah, Jenna," Bianca said, flipping her hair off her shoulders, "Has Drew ever said anything about me?"

Eli's head perked up in surprise. He folded his arms and let a smirk form across his face.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Emo boy!" she warned.

"Chill, Bianca. And yes, Drew has said things about you. He talked about you being a good lay and that he was glad your broke up his relationship with Ali."

Eli saw disappointment flash upon Bianca's face, before she quickly changed it. She put her signature smirk across her face and turned her attention to Clare, who was still searching in the rusty Mustang. A few seconds later, Clare had the paper to roll up the marijuana and she found a few matches she stashed.

Together her and Bianca began rolling up the marijuana, leaving Eli to watch. He studied them as they took they time to make sure it was perfect. In his mind he scoffed, wondering why did some girls like for _everything _to be perfect. Even rolling up weed had to be just perfect for them. Once they were done, Clare and Bianca had each rolled up five joints, making ten in all. They began smoking the first one, passing back and forth to each other. Eli just watched and stared in awe as the smoke twirled around in the air. The strong smell tickled his nose, making him a little anxious to participate.

"Come join us, Eli," Clare said, holding the joint towards him.

Eli hesitantly stared at the joint in Clare's hand. He had to decided and decide quick. Did he want to do what Clare and Bianca was doing? It was only going to happen once and he wanted to let loose. He was probably the only one out of his group that was a smoking virgin. Then again, Eli wasn't the type to follow people. He shook his head, refusing the offer.

"I'm going to go home or probably to Adam and Drew's," he said.

"Y-You won't tell CeCe or Bullfrog, will you Eli?" Clare asked with pleading eyes.

"I won't tell, as long as you promise this is your last day doing this. Clare, since you're going to live under my roof, I'm going to protect you like a big brother. So, you will quit. Okay?"

Clare nodded her head.

Eli smirked and walked away. Before disappearing down the path, he turned around and called out to Clare. She looked up at him, flashing him a smile. "Be home by ten."

Clare nodded once again.

**Clare:**

It was around twelve-thirty in the morning. Clare stumbled her way on to the Goldsworthy's porch. Her body was sore and she was terrified.

Bianca had talked Clare into going to a store to buy something to snack on. While at the store, two guys was checking them out. Of course Bianca had to be the friendly one and talk to them, insisting Clare came with her. Several minutes later, they were at the guys house. Clare said yes, due to Bianca's embarrassing pleading.

The guys must have slipped something into their drinks, because when Clare woke up, she was sore and Bianca was gone. She managed to leave the house and find her way to the Goldsworthy's. Just when she was about to knock on the door, the door swung open and revealed an angry Eli.

"I told you to be home at ten! Where were you? I had to cover and say you were staying at Bianca's. You're off to a bad start already, Edwards."

"I-I was drugged and raped again, Eli. Sorry for not calling you," Clare said bluntly.

Eli's mouth opened and he walked towards Clare. He wrapped his arms around her and she broke down, sobbing into his Dead Hand shirt. Eli pulled her inside and closed the door behind them/

Clare sat on the couch, watching Eli make his way over to her.

"We have to talk, you know that right?" he said.

"Yes, but can we do it in the morning. I-I'm very tired."

"Okay, let's get you to bed."

Eli helped Clare up the steps. Clare tripped a couple of times along the way. When they made it to Clare's room, Eli was about to leave until Clare grabbed his hand. He turned around and looked at her.

"Sleep in here tonight? I don't want to be alone."

"Sure. I'll stand here while you change. Open the door when you're done."

Clare smiled and nodded, closing the door. She wasn't sure why she asked Eli to sleep in here with her tonight. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened to her, but it was the first time she was around a guy that actually cared. Clare loved having Bianca help her, but sometimes she needed a guy friend. Someone who could wipe her tears away and possibly beat up the men who had hurt her.

She grabbed one of her suitcases and searched around until she found a shirt and a pair of pajama pants. She took off her clothes, wincing. She went to the mirror hanging on her wall and noticed the new hand tattoo right on her arm. An angry tear slid down her face. She wiped it away and put on her night-clothes. She walked to the door and opened it, Eli standing there as he had said. He walked in the room, Clare closing the door behind him.

They climbed under the cover and laid there awkwardly. Clare looked over at him and thought this was a dream. The guy who had talked badly about her was laying in the same bed as her. There was no denying that Clare has always thought he was cute, despite everything he had said about her. Maybe this was the time for them to start fresh.

"Clare," Eli started, turning to face her, "I'm sorry about the outburst I had earlier. I just-"

"Don't apologize, Eli. It's in the past, we can start over," she said.

Eli smiled and said, "Good night, Edwards," before turning over, facing the opposite side.

Clare turned over, now her and Eli were facing back-to-back.

"Good night, Eli," she whispered, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


	3. Secrets Behind Her

**Hi! Ready for another chapter? How do you feel about Eli and Clare living together? Think it'll turn out okay? I have another story I'm to start working on, too. I'll give you a little info about it. The teens are going to a cabin for a trip. No one is going to die, but there will be sex and lots of it. There is a lot of drinking and smoking pot. So much is going to happen. There will be break ups, make ups, drama, crying and so on. I will post this story Friday. Deal? Okay.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Degrassi.**

**REVIEW..READ..ENJOY!**

**xDark-Angelx224**

* * *

**Clare:**

The alarm clock filled the silent room. Clare eyes shot opened and realized that she wasn't at Helen's. She felt someone snuggle her and Clare felt a little horrified until she realized where she was. She was at the Goldsworthy's, her new home. Clare smiled and turned around, seeing Eli eyes were still closed.

"Good morning," he grumbled, still not opening his eyes.

"Good morning, Eli," she said, "Thank you for sleeping with me last night."

"No problem. What time is it?" he asked.

"It's 5:01."

"Well, you use the shower up here. I'll use the one downstairs."

"Okay," Clare said, slipping out of bed.

Clare went to her closet and looked around, trying to decide what she was going to wear. After five minutes of deciding, she came up with a black short sleeve button up and a pair of black cargo shorts. She grabbed her undergarments and walked out the room. She walked down the hall and went into the bathroom to take her shower.

She showered for ten minutes, thinking of he life. Once she stepped out of the shower she looked at her body in the mirror, she felt disgusted. Her body was filled with cuts and bruises. There was no way in hell Clare would get a boyfriend with a body like this. She had a beautiful face, but a dark past and a horrible body.

Clare sighed and put her clothes on. She re-curled her hair and walked out of the bathroom. She walked back to her room and placed her clothes in her laundry basket. She then walked downstairs to say good morning to her new family.

"Good morning CeCe and Bullfrog," she said, making her way to the kitchen.

"Morning Clare," they said in unison.

"Did you sleep well?" CeCe asked.

"Yes, I did. I haven't slept that well in a long time," she admitted.

"Well, that's good. I just finished making breakfast, so you can have a seat dear."

Clare sat at the table next to Eli. The table was a comfortable silence as CeCe fixed their plates. Everyone ate and parted. Eli hopped in his car and went to get his friends. CeCe and Bullfrog went to work. Clare stayed in the house, calling Bianca. She hadn't heard from her since yesterday and she wanted to know if she was okay. Bianca's phone went straight to voice mail and it worried Clare.

Seconds later, there was a knock at the door. Clare went to open it and Bianca was standing right there. Clare gasped at the sight she was seeing. Bianca's hair was tangled and her clothes were torn. She had a black eye and a busted lip.

"Oh, Bee, what happened?" she asked.

"H-He tried to kill me, Clare. I-I had to get away from him. He told me he was going to take me home. Instead he took me far out, raped me, and tried to kill me," Bianca said, her voice trailing off.

Clare pulled Bianca's arm gently and walked her in the house. She closed the door behind them and turned around facing Bianca. Bianca had a blank stare on her face. Clare didn't know what to do. She was scared for her best friend. Though they were both used to being raped, it was still hard to deal with. They both hated seeing each other after one of them has been raped. It had hurt them a lot. Neither one of them could deal with the pain. They were tough in front of others, but around each other they were emotional. They always let down their guard and break down when they're alone.

Today, however, Bianca wasn't crying nor pissed. She just stood there, with no emotion on her face. She didn't even look Clare's way when she called her name. Clare was really worried and scared for her best friend.

"Bee, let's go get you bathed and into some fresh clothes. Okay?" Clare said.

Bianca slowly nodded her head. Clare grabbed Bianca's hands and led her to the bathroom. She ran some bath water and grabbed some some to pour in the tub. When the water was high enough, Clare ordered for Bianca to take off her clothes. When Bianca didn't respond, Clare took off her clothes. As she was helping her friend into the tub, Clare gasped and began crying. Bianca had whips across her back. This guy really tried to kill Bianca.

**Eli:**

As the day went on, he wondered where Clare was. Now it was lunch and there was still no sign of her and Bianca. He knew they were probably up to no good. Those two probably skipped and went to get high. Anger boiled through his veins at the thought of Clare still getting high after she promised him she wouldn't. He knew that Clare was used to getting high all the time without no one caring, but things were different now. She had people who cared and she would have to respect that.

While his friends were talking about the weekend, Eli thought of Clare and how he was pissed off at her. She was going to have to try and be a good person if she was going to live under his roof. That meant no skipping school, drinking, staying/going out late, getting high, and self mutilation. All of that was going to end whether Clare liked it or not.

Eli had to lay the rules down with his parents so they could enforce them on Clare. He wanted to make sure that Clare knew how to act in their house. If she was going to live under the Goldsworthy's roof, she was going to have to act like one.

"Yo, Eli," Drew called out, snapping him out of his deep thoughts, "What's gotten in to you today? You've been spacing out all day."

"I-I'm sorry, I have a lot on my mind," Eli said.

"What is it? Want to talk about it?" Drew asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Eli said, waving his hand.

Adam gave Eli an "Are you okay" look. Eli nodded his head then quickly turned away. When the bell rang, signaling lunch was over, Eli hopped up and left. Adam was the only one who ran after Eli and caught up with him.

"Dude, what is wrong with you? Tell me, now!" Adam demanded.

"Nothing is wrong," Eli said, knowing that Adam knew it was a lie.

Out of everyone in their group, Adam was the only one who knew Eli better than them. Adam was the one who Eli could go to and confess everything to without worrying about being judge. Adam was so sensitive to Eli's feelings. That's what made them two closer than the others.

Eli sighed, knowing he was going to have to tell Adam sooner or later. Adam wouldn't tell a soul, so why was he so afraid?

"Clare Edwards lives with me," Eli said quickly.

"Wait - what?!" Adam asked, looking shocked.

The hallways were clearing out. Eli knew he was going to be late for class so he pulled Adam down the hall and into the boys room. He saw all the stalls were open so the two were alone.

"Clare Edwards lives with me," he repeated slowly.

"Why?" Adam asked.

Eli decided to tell Adam everything. When he finished, Adam sat there in shock.

"Wow. I feel so sorry for her and I'm glad your parents took her in," he said.

"I guess. I just want her to become a better person, Adam."

"You have to give her time, Eli. She isn't used to your lifestyle and she can't get used to it over a day. It takes time, so just be patient."

Adam was right. He was always right. Eli had to give it time. He couldn't force Clare to change over a day. Since the two missed half of their 5th period, they decided to stay in the bathroom until it was over. They talked about Clare and him. It was going to be very hard to get used to.

"When are you telling the others?" Adam asked.

"When we're comfortable enough," he answered.

"Okay."

The bell rang a few minutes later and they went to their last hour class. The class went by quickly and Eli dropped his friends off at home. Then, he made his way home. When he walked inside, the house was quiet.

"Clare!" he called out.

There was no answer. He huffed in frustration. She was probably out screwing around and getting high. He walked up the stairs and was about to go in his room until he saw what was in Clare's room.

Clare and Bianca were laying in bed, asleep. The two looked like they had been crying. Bianca's face had a black eye and a busted lip. Eli sighed and walked out of the room, softly closing the door behind him. He walked in his room and decided to do some homework.

After trying to work on his homework for twenty minutes, he realized his mind wasn't focused on trying to figure out this equation. He was focused on Clare and what had happened to Bianca. It was bothering him and he wanted to know. Frustrated, Eli put down his pencil and sighed heavily. His head shot up when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," he croaked.

The door opened and revealed Clare. She was standing there, with a bed head. She put a small smile on her face and sleepily rubbed her eyes.

"Eli, c-can I talk to you about something?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Sure, come on in."

Clare walked in the room and closed the door behind her. She sat on his bed and looked around, trying to soak in the new environment.

"Bianca is so traumatized that she's barely speaking and eating. I've been trying to get her to eat for about an hour."

"What happened?"

"She was raped and almost killed."

"Oh God."

"Yeah, um, sorry I skipped school today. I had to take care of her."

"I understand, Clare. If she feels this way tomorrow, you can stay home another day. I'll cover for the both of you."

Clare stood up and walked towards Eli. She flung her arms around him and pecked his cheek.

"Thank you, Eli."

"No problem. By the way, Adam knows."

"What?! Why?"

"Adam won't tell. I promise you that."

"Okay. Well, Adam always seemed like a nice guy. He was the only one that was so sweet to me."

"Yeah, that's Adam. He is a big teddy bear."

Clare laughed and it made Eli's heart skipped a beat. It was a nice, beautiful laugh. She looked over Eli's shoulder and saw that he was doing some homework.

"I can help you with that. I am very smart, you know."

"Well, thanks, Clare. I'd like that," Eli smiled.

For the past hour, Eli and Clare were working on Eli's homework. Afterwards, they sat in his room and talked. They talked about their pasts and what they expected in the future. They talked about all their likes and dislikes. Surprisingly, they had a lot in common. Both of them loved Dead Hand and reading Sylvia Plath's work.

"What's your favorite quote of Sylvia Plath?" Eli asked.

"I talk to God, but the sky is empty," Clare said, "That quote fits me perfectly. It's like, I prayed every night that things would get better and at first, it didn't. Things gotten worse and I topped praying to Him. I thought that He wasn't listening to me."

Eli stared at her, his heart breaking by the second. Clare had so much going on and it pained him. Every time she opened her mouth, a sad story was coming out. It's like she didn't even know what happy was. Everything around her was sad and gloomy. It was as if she had a little gray cloud following her around every where.

"What's your favorite quote?" she asked.

"I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again."

"Eli, I'm not surprised that you like that quote."

Eli laughed and shook his head, his bangs falling in his face. He wiped them away and leaned back in his chair. The door opened and it revealed Bianca. She stood there, looking refreshed. She walked over towards Clare and wrapped her arms around her. Clare slowly hugged her back and tightened her arms around her best friend.

"How are you feeling, Bee?" Eli asked.

Bianca let Clare go and said, "I feel fine, thanks for asking. Clare, thank you so much for being here for me I-"

"Bee, you know you don't have to thank me. I'm always going to be here for you, just like you'll do the same."

Bianca smiled and hugged Clare, again. When they broke apart, Eli suggested they go to The Dot to eat. Clare nodded her head, agreeing while Bianca groaned.

"The Dot is filled with all those obnoxious kids from Degrassi being all happy and giggly. It's disgusting," Bianca said, returning back to her old self.

"Come on, Bee, please!" Clare begged.

"Fine," Bianca said rolling her eyes, "Okay."

They exited Eli's room, went down the steps, and out the house. Their journey to The Dot was full of laughter. Eli had to admit, it was pleasant to hear both of their laughter. They've been through so much and it was nice to hear them laugh. When they arrived at The Dot, Eli held the door open, letting the girls walk in first. He walked in after them and they found a table.

A waitress came to their table the minute sat down. Clare ordered a burger with fries and a small strawberry shake. Bianca ordered the same. Eli ordered just ordered fries and a shake.

While waiting on their food, they trio started talking. Eli got to know more of Bianca. She was the only child and lived with her aunt. Her mother and father weren't in the picture. She had no clue where they were. She had a passion for dancing and she was very smart. Not as smart as Clare, but smart. She had a crush on Drew - which Eli already knew about.

"I can try to hook you two up," Eli said.

Bianca's eyes widened and she looked at Eli like he was a freaking Angel. She squealed and blushed because she just squealed. Clare laughed, along with Eli.

"Hey, Eli, didn't know this was that type of party," a voice said.

Eli turned around and saw Jake standing there with Adam and Drew. Eli eyes widened. He had forgotten that they come to The Dot almost everyday after school. How was he supposed to explain this?

"Hey guys," Eli said slowly.

"Wanna tell me why you're hanging out with the sluts of Degrassi?" Jake asked.

"Excuse me?" Clare said, slightly pissed, "FYI we're not sluts. We don't go around sleeping with everyone. Our legs stay closed."

"Not what I heard," Jake argued.

"Let it go, Jake," Adam said.

"Shut it, Adam," Jake snapped, "Like I said, that's not what I heard."

"Whatever you heard was wrong and a complete lie!" Clare gritted through her teeth.

"Calm down Clare," Eli, Adam, and Bianca said in unison.

"Clare, we all know that you screwed every damn guy at Degrassi. Just like your friend here," Jake said pointing to Bianca.

"Listen here Martin-" Bianca started before getting interrupted by Jake.

"No, you listen here both of y'all open your legs for everyone at Degrassi. So why not just admit it?" Jake said, smirking, "Drew, tell us about the time you and Bianca fucked in the boiler room."

Drew stood there, scratching the back of his head.

"Jake, leave them alone," Drew said.

"What is wrong with you guys? Y'all are taking up for these two? Just yesterday y'all were talking about them; calling them sluts. Now, everyone has a damn heart?!" Jake yelled.

"That's it, we're done here. See you at home, Eli," Clare said, storming out of The Dot.

Bianca stood there for a second, looking at Drew. He smiled at her and she smiled back before going after Clare.

"See you at home?! What the hell is going on, Eli?! What aren't you telling us?" Jake yelled, his veins popping out.

"Cool it Jake, you're making a scene," Eli warned.

"Fine," Jake said lowering his voice, "What the _hell_ is going on?"

"That's not my business to tell. All I can say is Clare lives with me now," Eli confessed.

"So, is Bianca living with you, too?" Drew asked, smiling awkwardly.

**C****lare:**

She was so frustrated and tired. She was tired of people calling her the slut of Degrassi. Not once has she screwed any of those guys at Degrassi. She didn't want to and she knew that if she did, it would get around the whole school. Angry tears fell down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them away. More fell as she stormed down the street, getting closer to the Goldsworthy's.

"Clare, wait up!" Bianca screamed, catching up to Clare.

Clare kept walking as if Bianca wasn't there. She know this was wrong, but she was too upset. Even though she acted as if it didn't bother her, it did. It always did.

"Clare, stop and talk to me!" Bianca begged.

Clare stopped and turned around. She gave Bianca an annoyed looked and folded her arms across her chest.

"I know you're upset-"

"And you're not?!" Clare said, cutting her off.

"I am, Clare, but don't you think you're overreacting?"

"Bee, he called us a slut in front of every fucking body in there! Sorry if I'm _overreacting_!"

Bianca sighed and shook her head, her curls bouncing. Clare turned around and continued walking with Bianca at her side. When they got to the house, no one was there. Clare went straight to her room, Bianca following her. Bianca flopped on the bed and kicked her shoes off.

"Think CeCe and Bullfrog will let me stay tonight? I can't go back there," Bianca said.

"I'm sure they won't mind," Clare said.

Bianca nodded her head and said 'Okay'. Clare flopped down and laid back, staring at the ceiling. The house was silent and peaceful. The only sound being made was their breathing. Clare's eye lids were growing heavy. She was slowly drifting off to sleep until the house became noisy. Clare eyes shot open. She sat up and looked at Bianca who shrugged.

"I'll go check it out," Bianca said, getting up and walking out the room.

Clare sat there and patiently waited. Eventually, Clare fell asleep. She woke up an hour later and saw Bianca didn't come back. She rolled out of bed and walked down the stairs, seeing the gang all there. Jake was sitting on the couch with a bottle in his hand. Drew was leaning against the wall with Bianca standing in front of him, flirting. Adam and Eli were sitting on across from Jake, talking.

Jake was the first one to notice Clare. He looked up at her and stood up. The room grew quiet. Jake walked over towards Clare. Anger boiled in her body. Why was he walking over to her? Was he going to say more hurtful things? Was he going to piss her off, again?

"Clare, I'm sorry," he said, holding his head down.

Clare didn't respond. She just stared at Jake, waiting for him to go on. It was going to take more than a phony sorry for her to jump up and accept his apology. She was better than that.

"Look, Clare, please don't make this hard for me. I am really sorry for calling you a slut. What you do with you and the other guys at Degrassi is your business."

"Jake," Clare said, closing her eyes, "I honestly didn't sleep with any guys in that school. Everything they told you was a lie and I didn't bother to clear my name."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why are you living with Eli?"

Clare sighed. She knew she was going to have to tell them sooner or later. She rather it be sooner. She walked in the living room, Jake following behind. All eyes were on her. She gulped and wiped a few strands from her face.

"I think you all might want to sit down for this," she said.

Jake went over to the couch and sit down. Drew and Bianca sat near Jake. Clare stood in the middle of the room, eyes boring through her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"When I was twelve my dad left my mother and took my older sister, Darcy, with him. My mother when ballistic and started going out every night, doing drugs and screwing men she barely knew. They would come home with her and fuck throughout the night. On my thirteenth birthday, one of them had the nerve - he had the nerve to come to my room and rape me. He didn't even do it gently. Oh no, he violently raped me! Then he went to screw my mother the same damn night. Ever since that night, other guys would come in and rape me. My mother knew, but she didn't care. Just a few days ago, she told me to let them. She doesn't care about me."

The room was very silent. Adam was sitting there, wiping tears from his eyes. Bianca was comforting Drew, who had a pissed look on his face. Jake was sitting there with a blank expression. Clare ran her fingers through her locks before continuing.

"I turned to cutting. I thought it could help me take my pain away. I used to cut every time one of her guys raped me. One day, Bianca found me cutting and made me promise to stop. I stopped for a few months. A couple of days ago, when Eli talked about me in class, I skipped the rest of the day and went home. One of my mother's guys found me and raped me. I went up to Degrassi and pulled out my blade. I kept cutting and cutting. Soon after Bianca and Eli found me. I-I blanked out after that. I woke up at Eli's house. His parents talked to me, I told them what happened, and now here I am," Clare finished.

She took a breath and looked at all the eyes on her. That was it. The secret was finally out. They knew the truth behind Clare Edwards. Would they keep this to their selves was a mystery. She sure hoped they would. It would kill her if the whole school found out about her. Clare had to admit, she felt a little better each day. The more she talked about it, the better she felt. It felt good to tell her story and have people listen to it. For once in her life, she felt completely safe.


End file.
